I Hope You Dance
by smkfan66
Summary: Amanda collects on the guys' debts to watch C.J. /Jesse and C.J. share a tender moment.


Now, just wait a minute, Mister," Amanda advanced menacingly toward Jesse ****

TITLE: I HOPE YOU DANCE

DISCLAIMER: The characters are owned by Viacom, CBS, and the writers and creators of the show. I am using these characters with the full knowledge that I did not create them. No infringement intended. I'm just having fun with them. There is a line from a song in here that I love and if you know the song you'll recognize it if you see it…no copyright infringement intended there either.  
  
Rating: PG 

AUTHOR: Shari

SUMMARY: Amanda collects on the guys' debt to watch C.J. and Jesse shares a tender moment with C.J.

TIME FRAME: Slightly AU / Alternate Ending / Tag Scene to Mind Over Murder

FEEDBACK: Sure.

I HOPE YOU DANCE

Now, just wait a minute, Mister," Amanda advanced menacingly toward Jesse. "You promised me a night of uninterrupted sleep"

"Umm Amanda," Jesse began, backing away slightly as he took in the vision of the normally calm, now wild-haired pathologist advancing toward him, "I guess doing it another night is…" his voice trailed off as he saw the almost maniacal gleam in Amanda's eyes.

Mark chuckled softly as he watched Jesse back up slowly. "Jesse, I think you'd better put your date off until another night." 

"That's right, Mister, and what are you laughing at?" she said turning her attention to the amused Dr. Sloan. "I believe YOU promised me TWO nights!" 

Mark grinned, unable to resist teasing her, "Hmmm…did I say two nights? I thought I said one night," winking at Steve.

Amanda almost shrieked with dismay, wagging her finger, "Oh no, you're not getting out of this…" beginning to rant.

"Relax, Amanda. Two nights is what I said and two nights is what I'll give you," Mark interrupted her, smiling and placing a soothing hand on her shoulder.

Relaxing slightly at the prospect of some sleep, Amanda smiled slightly, "Umm, well…okay. Hey, look, I'm sorry guys. Sometimes I don't know what gets into me," she said grinning sheepishly at them. 

Jesse brightened at the glimmer of a possibility he could get out of baby-sitting this night at her words, "Ummm…" he began.

Flashing a warning glance in his direction, "Don't even think it."

Changing tactics in midstream and innocently looking at them all, "What? What? I was just gonna suggest that I watch C.J. tonight."

"Right, Jesse," Steve smirked, slightly amused by the fact that he was the only one not conned into a sleepless night.

Seeing his son's obvious enjoyment out of the situation, Mark offered, "As a matter of fact, Amanda, why don't you pack up CJ and stuff for both of you and you can sleep in Steve's room. I'm sure he won't mind," he said with a fatherly warning glance as Steve started to interrupt him. "Jesse can watch C.J. at our house and then if he needs any help, we'll be there to lend a hand." Seeing her sway to his argument and knowing she desperately needed some sleep, he continued, "This way you can get a good night's sleep and between me, and Jesse and Steve, you won't have a thing to worry about."

"Well, I still get two additional nights, Mark. This just counts as one as far as I'm concerned,"Amanda shrewdly bargained.

Laughing, Mark agreed, "Yes, you still get two additional nights."

"Well, it's set then, everybody's happy," Mark said putting his arm around the very obviously sleep-deprived new mom.

Steve looked with disbelief over at Jesse, "How did he do that?"

Jesse laughed, "He's good," shrugging his shoulders, before following them.

~~~~

"Dad, I don't know how I let you talk me into this," Steve groaned as he shifted his long frame on the uncomfortable couch.

"Shh…" hissed Mark as he rocked the now sleeping baby, after twenty steady minutes of walking the floor, stepping over the slumbering form of Jesse sprawled out on the floor, having just succumbed to some well-earned rest after two hours of his own pacing the floor with the cranky infant.

Gently, Mark laid C.J. down in the porta-crib and began backing up slowly as if backing away from a ticking bomb.

"Finally," Steve sighed as he once again tried to catch even a few hours of sleep before daylight.

"Nothing to it," Mark whispered. "You just have to have 'the touch'," gleefully rubbing his hands together, thoroughly satisfied that he was able to quiet the restless baby. He settled back into his recliner just before being interrupted with the piercing cry of the baby.

Jesse jumped up, startled from a sound sleep, "I'm up…I'm up. Is it my turn already?" he yawned as he made his way toward the crib.

Motioning Steve to be quiet so he wouldn't reveal to Jesse that he had only been asleep twenty minutes, Mark hurried to agree, running a tired hand across his face, "Yes." Turning, he rushed out of the room, followed closely by Steve, both of them seeking silence and caffeine sustenance in the kitchen.

Jesse shook his head, laughing silently, as he leaned over the crib, gently lifting the crying infant out and cradling him. "Hey, little guy, what's the matter? Are you lonely over here all by yourself," he comforted him, swaying with him gently as he resumed his earlier pacing of the floor.

~~

A few too short hours later, Amanda came cheerily into the kitchen, startling the sleeping Steve and Mark slumped at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, gentlemen. What a wonderful morning," she exclaimed totally oblivious to the bleary-eyed glances directed toward her as she clattered the empty coffeepot as she searched for another can of coffee.

"Yeah, just beautiful," a slightly rumpled and grumpy Steve answered.

Mark looked over at him and grimaced, stretching his back as he groaned, before becoming fully alert, "Hey, shhhhh…listen. Do you hear that?"

"What, Dad? I don't hear anything," Steve grumbled, as he reached around Amanda to hand her the new can of coffee from the top shelf.

"Exactly." Mark answered.

Steve looked at him blankly before it dawned on him. Silence. Beautiful, uninterrupted, glorious silence.

Amanda looked from one to the other before she noticed the look of relief followed by something close to panic settling in on the men's faces. Looking at them suspiciously, "Umm…exactly where is C.J?"

"He's fine, Amanda," Both men assured her as they backed hurriedly out of the room, nearly tripping over each other, feeling guilty for having left Jesse pretty much all night except for twenty minutes in charge of the crying infant.

Amanda rushed to follow the exiting pair. Mark stopped abruptly, causing a chain reaction as Steve and Amanda collided with him.

Motioning for them to be quiet, he pointed out toward the deck where Jesse cradled C.J., pointing out toward the rising sun.

"Hey, little one. Sun's coming up. Mommy will be up soon." He crooned softly to the infant who gazed solemnly up at him as if hanging onto every word. "Look out there, little man. There's a whole, big, wonderful world all yours for the taking. I don't know your Dad but if your Mom fell in love with him then he's gotta be pretty terrific because you've got a wonderful, kind, caring, beautiful mom."

Amanda's eyes welled up with tears as she watched this tender scene between her son and her friend, slightly ashamed of the way she had taken him for granted, yelled at and ignored him over the past several days when he came to her for advice. 

Jesse continued, unaware of the trio. "You've got a compassionate, generous, smart, gentle, great man as a godfather. Someone you can depend on no matter what." Shifting C.J. slightly, he smiled a tender, although tired smile down at the infant who continued to look up at him with a trusting gaze. "Then there's Steve. He'll always be there for you, no matter what. He's a good friend and there's nothing better that can be said of a person than that. You can always count on him. Little one, you have a wonderful life ahead of you surrounded by all of these people. I don't know what more I have to offer you other than to say I'll be here for you and I'll pass along something my grandfather once said to me…if you have a choice in life to sit back and let life happen to you or if you have a chance to dance, I hope you dance."

Mark, tears clearly evident in his eyes, pulled the others back inside as Jesse placed a gentle kiss on the infant's head and settled in the beach chair with the baby resting on his chest, before closing his eyes and falling asleep as the sun crested the waves. Steve, eyes suspiciously bright, placed a gentle arm around his father and Amanda as they watched Jesse drift off the sleep. 

Silently, the three of them walked out onto the deck. Amanda walked softly over to the sleeping Jesse and lifted her son gently from his arms. "Hey, baby, Jesse was wrong. He has a lot to offer you and if you grow up to be even half the sensitive, funny, sweet man that he is, you are going to have a great life," she finished before placing a gentle kiss on Jesse's cheek and leaving him to well-earned rest.

The end.


End file.
